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Yesterday has witnessed few very good examples of ensuring drinking water security at Yavatmal. As on date out of 25 VAs (Village Associations), 7 or 8 VAs are fully water secured.

Few key features:

1. Nearest Perineal water source – in these cases well were identified. In all the cases were renovated to be perineal.

2. Water distribution outlets were provisioned keeping suitability, as per community need. In Sheli Khorad 3 tanks of 3,000 litres capacity, and each water distribution tank has 3 taps (see in photo). In other VAs at different locations 2 taps were provided again depending on village size (roughly 1 pair of outlet tap for 10-15 HHs).

3. Each tank either water storage big tank (40,000 liters) or 3,000 liters water distribution outlet has bottom 1/2 to 1 feet to flush out dirts and other external materials.

4. Perineal source are connected with water distribution outlets through underground PVC pipes.

5. Water is lifted through electric pump.

6. Each location has Water committee and rules for duration of water supply. In summer months usually 1 hour supply twice a day (evening and morning), collection of maintenance charges, tanks cleaning, educating community not to waste water, छान कर पानी use karna, etc.

7. Each tank has perfect branding with RF and respective VA. Perfectly transparent with sub-head wise details of expenses, community contribution, year of construction, etc (see in photo).

8. Looking at the overall management systems, Gram Panchayat of Sheli Khorad has came forward with a proposal to bear all the electricity charges.

9. Looking at the water tables in the water source, there is no doubt to face any difficulty in next 2-3 months.
Personally, highly impressed by witnessed systems, processes, planning, quality of interventions, management, etc. However, sky is the limit for perfection but in present context beautiful example of ensuring drinking water.
Flip-side is that with today’s re-fined learning overall investment can be reduced to at least 30-40%.

All these initiatives were supported by BIJ (Bharat India Jodo) program of Reliance Foundation.

At Reliance Foundation treat and respect women colleagues AT PAR with male in all the aspects. Taking this culture deep into the operational villages actively provoke and sensitize the both males and females. On the occasion of International Women Day, all the 26 field teams has celebrated IWD as per their wish. Modasa team of Gujarat organized IWD based on the theme titled as ‘Be bold for change, Beti Bachoo Beti padhaoo’.

Mahila Manch women leaders and representatives of Girimala Producer Company made this event grand success with total 800 participants including 600 women’s from 14 villages. Hiratimba village hoisted the event with warm welcome through words and beautiful dance by girls of Hiratimba VA.

Major Highlights of the event:

Event marked by lightning ‘Deep’/ lamp by young college going girls giving message on importance of education.

Bhawai presented by Manila Lal bhai and team filled the audience with happiness and enthusiasm topic was importance of women empowerment ..role of women’s..social customs that hinders empowerment process and what we can azure from our end for our own sisters mothers wife’s and girls.

TDO Meghraj and Mr Ansari gave short speech on why it is essential to have toilet at home and benefits by proper use. Mr Ansari with his real time examples gained faith and love of audience by touching grey point linking pride of women’s and toilet units use at home in villages.Ms Tabassum focused on women empowerment through making of new VO s and strengthen of SHGs.

Champa ben Dai ma from Motibhuwal villages shared that this is first time that they are getting welcomed and also shared her struggles while doing home deliveries in village. Women leaders Radha ben, Asha ben, Madhu ben, Sitaben, Sangita ben, Bhawna ben and Gita ben shared their journey of four years that how they feel transformation in themselves through Mahila Manch and women’s engagement in VA .

Sangini ben from six VA also shared their journey of past 3 month working in Saksham project and it’s importance.

Token of appreciation given to all participants by women leaders .

Contribution from 14 VA totaling worth ₹ 30,000 in cash and few other in kind were made for the event.

Whole event manages and owned by women leaders with support of Girimala PC Guests and participants in the event praised efforts of VA leaders with RF for this grand success.

Quality is not an unknown word, mostly we heard about this in our day to day life. But, today trying to focus on qualitative aspects in Development Sector that what does it mean? How defined and interpreted? And, finally how impacts the organizations?

Quality can be defined as any distinctive attribute, features, characteristics that is possessed by goods, services, and processes. In Development Sector, usually we rarely manufacturer goods, and largely focusses either on processes or services or both. Quoting an real example of the organization where I am currently working that is Reliance Foundation. And, I am associated with rural transformation initiative called BIJ (Bharat India Jodo), the design of this program has quality in design and architecture. As community is at the fulcrum by organising themselves into a collectively governed and managed institute know as Village Association (VA). The process is completely democratized.

After the design, next aspect in quality is control of quality, which is initially being done by our front line professionals and in a planned manner transferred to the community. They control every aspect of the functioning like documentation, planning, budgeting, execution, etc. There are many VAs after 3-4 years of engagement with BIJ that now they are doing every thing at their own with laid down quality standards of services and processes.

In this transformation journey and continually improvement in the quality, BIJ set every year new benchmarks for services to be delivered towards marginalized community, BoDs (Board of Directors) for Producers Companies. It doesn’t stop here, also colleagues work at Main Corporate office sets quality deliverables benchmarks for all the 28 field teams.

All these are impacting organization by recognition among community, other developmental agencies, organisations including State Governments and within Reliance Family.

In rural Bharat, there are millions of families who has skills to some extent but in the absence of proper support, guidance and complex Government system compelled to live in marginality. In order, to do simplify all this Reliance Foundation, in the year 2011 conceptualise and initiated a flagship rural transformation program know as BIJ (Bharat India Jodo). Today this program has reached out to 12 States, 32 Districts, 500 villages and >50,000 families. The core working principles are Direct Action, Participatory Approach, and Sustainable Development.

Below is one of the small story of a farmer named Sultan Sekh resides in the village Pahadpur. Under the guidance of Deoghar team villages collectively organized themselves and form a Village association (VA). VA members along with other dimensions of the work focused on nurturing the existing skills of the villagers and their transformation into a meaningful livelihood options.

Sultan Sekh being an active member of Pahadpur VA restarted a poultry unit some 3 years back and left due to loss in business. It has caused due to lack in proper skill and know how and encountered heavy mortality of chicks.

VA members helped him to re-gain his confidence and re-vival of poultry unit by getting proper training from Abhibyakti Foundation, an organisation providing training on Poultry farming. Deoghar team of Reliance Foundation has helped VA in connection with Abhivyakti Foundation. Sekh was the first person to enrolled his wife for training. After completing the training of one month built new confidence in the family and decided to restart the closed unit of poultry in the village. For this he invested Rs 10,000 in renovation of poultry house as per the dimension and shape suggested in the training. Rs 5,000/ were supported as a loan from VDF (Village Development Fund) to purchase 100 chicks.

Abhibyakti Foundation is providing handhold support to the family in timely vaccination, medicines and regular followup. Looking at the performance of the first two very successful cycles there is a prevalent hope to turn up his poultry business as a great success and will became the replicable model for the other VA members.

In India there are about 2.5 lakh Grampanchayats (GP) and are the key players for the local governance and take care of all the development initiatives. Under the three tier arrangement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Gram panchayats are at the base, and headed by Sarpanch as it’s elected head. Constitutional body of Gram Panchayat comprises of Panch or Ward Members elected by all the adult citizens of their respective wards. The Sarpanch, all the Ward Members and Gram Sevak (Panchayat Sachiv), who is appointed by Government to support democratically elected body to perform major functions as:

Implementation of welfare plans

Social justice and development

Upliftment of womene

Economic development,d

Development of infrastructure such as roads, waterways, etc.

Ensuring social justice,

Making arrangement for drinking water,

Improvement in agricultural methods,

Development of improved irrigation methods,

Development of small-scale, cottage and food-processing units,

Eradication of poverty,

Housing for rural people,

Making arrangement for elementary and secondary education facilities for rural children,

Fight illiteracy and encourage adults to learn to read and write,

Improvement in hygiene and sanitation, etc.

Even these functions doesn’t limit the scope of work, GPs can stretched to take up other tasks as well suitable for the welfare and development of the people and region.

However, Government provide enough financial resources for the development but still many GPs are struggling to get the sufficient support not only to have money but how to put available budget in proper use.

Corporates under their CSR initiatives can proactively support eligible GPs in nurturing their capacities on making holistic, self-reliant and sustainable developmental plans, hand-hold support in making and designing technical plans, projects formation and bringing in dimension of Project Management.

It is high time to work in association for Corporates with especially backward GPs. One has to take initiative so that left over areas of the country (low in HDI) also became active contributor in the country development.

Vegetables are essential components of the balance diet, and helps us to maintain nutrients balance in the body. Reliance Foundation under it’s flagship BIJ (Bharat India Jodo) program, focusses on nutrition self-sufficiency through vegetables, and have developed easy method known as RNG (Reliance Nutrition Garden).

Usually as first step community is made aware about the significance of vegetables in meeting the required nutrients. Taking it forward, yesterday ‘Vegetable Fair’ was organised by Limbewadi village association in the school campus in collaboration with Zilla Parishad.

The major focus was on knowldge building, group work, information sharing about the benefits of eating vegetables in daily diet, etc.

In the program 49 students along with more than 100 villagers had participated. During the day, a group exercise was conducted to sensitize children about money, profit and loss in rural economy. In which, children were divided into different groups and each group was asked to bring different types of vegetables. The major nutrients available in the vegetable that they have brought were narrated, and students sold these vegetables during the fair to the teachers and other participants of the near by villages.

At the end of the program information on nutrition security and how RNG can easily help in meeting the daily needs of the fresh vegetables was elaborately discussed. Seasonality, list of locally grown vegetables, and methods of cultivation were covered. Further, major nutrient deficiency symptoms in the body and by eating which vegetables can be replenish were discussed. Students felt very confident and committed to have RNGs in their backyard and consumption of vegetables in their daily diet.

Building capacities of the local community leaders is essential to keep the development wheel moving. Reliance Foundation gives enough space to nurture the local community persons on different aspects of the rural transformation. These carefully identified and selected community persons are developed into ‘Community Resource Persons’ (CRPs) after series of competency programs.

​In order to develop CRPs for food and nutrition self-sufficiency, yesterday a hands on training program was organised at training center. This was in continuation to CRP development for food and nutrition. Dr. Kukshal, a horticulture expert who deeply understand the local context of hilly climatic condition was the trainer. The topics covered were:

Management of old fruit plants.

Care and Management of fruit plants, verities suitable for the area.

Economics of fruit plants.

Poly house Management

Nursery raising practices along with does and don’t.

In the program, total 25 participants representing 8 VAs (village association) has participated and learned very practical new things. Dr. Kukshal has also provided solutions related to fruit plants and poly house movement, as specific queries by few of the participants.

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